Balanced maze game apparatus

ABSTRACT

A game board is supported on a flexible rod and associated base. Upstanding flanges define a maze path on the game board surface through which a ball may roll. A plurality of depressions are provided about the periphery of the game board, and weights removably positioned in these depressions adjustably tip the game board on its flexible rod support, causing the ball to roll through the maze path responsive to the selected position of the weights.

United States Patent 1191 Gioia et al.

[ 1 BALANCED MAZE GAME APPARATUS [76] Inventors: Louis M. Gioia, 14 Berkshire Dr.,

Danbury, Conn. 06810; Charles Ellsworth, PO. Box 36, Brookfield Ctn, Conn.; James L. Webb,3

Surrey Ln., New Milford, Conn.

References Cited Aug. 13, 1974 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 767,766 5/1934 France 273/110 827,766 2/1960 Great Britain 273/145 C 5 7 ABSTRACT A game board is supported on a flexible rod and associated base. Upstanding flanges define a maze path on the game board-surface through which a ball may roll. A plurality of depressions are provided about the periphery of the game board, and weights removably positioned in these depressions adjustably tip the game board on its flexible rod support, causing the ball to roll through the maze path responsive to the selected UNITED STATES PATENTS position of the weights. 644,209 2/1900 Murphy 273/115 1,768,016 6/1930 Walker 1. 273/110 X 8 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures 2,390,458 12/1945 Pedersen 273/110 IF l6 1 I T T 3 b 52 1l I rr-- 7 ll I I I; -\J 50- '-5o I, no I,

I 1', I I/ I I '1 1 mummwm INVENTORS LOUIS M. GIOIA CHARLES ELLSWORTH JAMES L. WEBB MATTERN WARE AND DAVIS ATTORNEYS BALANCED MAZE GAME APPARATUS SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to agame, and more particularly to a game comprising a resiliently mounted game board tippable by selectively positioning movable weights thereon.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the prior art there are many puzzles incorporating tippable game boards. One of these is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 414,986 to Motter. His puzzle comprises a circular game board tippably mounted on the apex of a rigid cone base. The game board has a plurality of flanges upstanding from the surface thereof to form a maze, and balls are provided which may roll through the maze. The game is played by manually tipping the game board to cause the balls to roll in the maze toward desired points therein.

Another form of tippable game board is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,390,458 to Pedersen. A hemispherical base depends from the underside of Pedersens game board, which supports the game board in a tippable manner. The surface of the game board has a series of depressions therein, and the players manually tip the game board to cause a ball to roll about this surface. It is an object of the game to avoid causing the ball to come to rest in some of the depressions, and to cause the ball to come to rest in various other of the depressions. A series of depressions about the periphery thereof, which depressions are used for storing extra balls.

Other devices comprising a game board manually tippable on a supporting projection depending therefrom are shown in the following patents: U.S. Pat. No. 996,458 to Coleman; U.S. Pat. No. 1,522,307 to Lewis, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,236,522 to Brown.

A game similar to those described in the above mentioned patents, but having a resiliently supported game board is the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 1,768,016 to Walker. This patent shows a game board having a plurality of prongs depending from the underside thereof, which prongs are loosely engaged in an equal number of upstanding coil springs. The surface of the game board is provided with a series of protrusions and depressions. The player manually tips, slides, and otherwise manipulates the game board againstthe resilient mountings to cause a ball to roll about the surface of the game board. A similar game wherein the resilient mounting comprises a rigid rod terminating in a flexible suction cup base is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,492,462 to Caesar.

Yet another game having a resiliently mounted game board is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 644,209 to Murphy. The game board in Murphy is secured to a single centrally disposed coil spring, which is in turn secured to a base. The surface of the game board has a series of five depressions which receive five balls. The depressions are arrayed such that the surface of the game board remains in a more or lesslevel condition with the five balls positioned thereon. There are also holes formed in the surface of the game board for receiving the images of soldiers provided with a peg for insertion in the holes. The object of the game is to place the images upon the game board without causing the balls to be displaced.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION The game according to this invention comprises a game board mounted on a resilient or flexible support and associated base. Flanges upstanding from the surface of the game board form a maze path through which a ball may roll toward a centrally located ballretaining depression. Separated from the maze path are a plurality of depressions in which weights may be removably positioned. The weight-receiving depressions are preferably arrayed about the periphery of the game board equidistant from the central ball retaining depression. A second series of weight-receiving depressions are preferably formed nearer the central ball retaining depression, and also removed from the maze path.

Players may in turn selectively position weights in some of the plurality of weight-receiving depressions, thereby tipping the game board on its resilient mounting, and causing the ball to roll through the maze path on the surface of the game board. A player may be designated as the winner by causing the ball to come to rest in the central, ball-retaining depression.

It will be noted that none of the prior art patents described above provide for tipping a resiliently or flexibly mounted game board by means of positioning weights thereon. Also, none of the above described devices provide a resilient mounting of a game board in the form of a flexible rod, which resists vertical and rotational displacement of the game board while permitting tipping thereof. It will thus be seen that the game according to the invention challenges the sense of balance and judgment as well as the manual dexterity of the players in a unique andnovel manner.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a game which challenges the judgment and sense of balanceof the player.

It is a second object of the invention to provide a game which competitively tests the judgment and sense of balance of the players.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a resiliently mounted game board tippable by means of weights.

It is another object of the inventionto provide a game of the above character which is durableand inexpensive to manufacture.

It is an additional object of the invention to provide a game of the above type which collapses for compact storage.

Other and more specific objects will be apparent I from the features, elements, combinations and operating procedures disclosed in the following detailed description and shown in the drawings.

DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of the surface of a game board according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the underside of the game board of FIG. 1, and a flexible mounting rod and associated base therefor.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the assembled game according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION FIG. I shows the top surface of a generally circular game board according to the invention. Upstanding about the periphery of the game board 10 is a flange 12. A series of depressions 14 are formed in the flange l2, and spherical weights 16 may be removably positioned therein. A second flange 18 also upstands from the game board 10, and the top surface of flange 18 is also provided with a series of depressions 20 wherein the spherical weights 16 may be removably positioned.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the depressions 14 are equidistant from the center of the game board 10 and are equiangularly arrayed about the peripheral flange 12. The depressions 20 in flanges 18 and 22 are also equiangularly arrayed within groupings thereon, and each depression is at a uniform distance from the center of the game board 10.

Flanges 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, and 34 also upstand from the game board 10. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, some of the flanges are symmetrical about the central depression 36. Thus flange 22 is the mirror image of flange 18, and triangular flange 24 is the mirror image of triangular flange 26. There are also two flanges, not shown, which are the mirror images of flange 28 and 30. Flange 32 is the reverse mirror image of flange 34. It is, of course, not necessary that this relationship between the various flanges exist, and any desired array of flanges may be provided.

The various upstanding flanges define a maze path comprising a plurality of paths leading from a start position 40 to a ball-retaining depression 36 formed at the center of the game board 10 between flanges 32 and 34. A ball 42 may roll along the maze path between and among the various flanges from a start position 40 to the central depression 36.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a flexible rod 50 is telescopingly receivable in a central opening 54 formed in a boss 52 depending from the underside of game board 10. The boss 52 is preferably centered on the underside of game board 10, so that the central opening 54 therein is immediately below the central ball-retaining depression 36. The lower end of flexible rod 50 is telescopingly receivable in an opening 56 of an apertured hub 58. The apertured hub 58 has three legs 60 radially disposed outwardly therefrom to comprise a base 62 suitable for supporting the flexible rod 50 and game board 10 on a flat surface, such as a floor.

The game board 10, flexible rod 50, and base 62 are shown assembled in FIG. 3. The flexible rod 50 is in a vertical position supporting the game board 10 in a horizontal position when the spherical weights 16 are placed in depressions l4 and 20 in a manner that balances the game board. When the spherical weights 16 are positioned to unbalance the game board, the flexible rod 50 bends, and the game board 10 assumes a tipped position, such as is shown greatly exagerated in the dotted lines of FIG. 3. The tipped position of game board 10 causes ball 42 to roll in the maze path defined by the upstanding flanges, the ball coming to rest in a their selection in depressions 14 and 20, thereby causing the ball 40 to move through the maze path. The winning participant may be designated as the one who causes the ball 40 to come to rest in the central ballretaining depression 36.

The game board 10 and flanges thereon are preferably fabricated of plastic, and the flexible rod 50 may be fiberglass or metal. The base 62 is also easily constructed of plastic. The ball 42 may be fabricated of either plastic or wood, and is preferably much lighter than the weights 16, which may be common steel ballbearings. Thus the movement of the ball 42 has a much smaller effect on the tip of the table than does the position of the weights.

The flexible rod 50 may be replaced by a coil spring, or other resilientsupport means. Any rolling member may be substituted for ball 42, and various other forms of weights may be provided.

The game is exciting and challenging to play, testing both the judgment and sense of balance of the participant. The game is inexpensive to manufacture, and is comprised of durable parts. It is easily disassembled for flat, compact storage, a desirable feature in a parlor game.

Since the foregoing description and drawings are merely illustrative, the scope of the invention has been broadly stated herein and it should be liberally interpreted to secure the benefit of all equivalents to which the invention is fairly entitled.

What is claimed is:

1. A game apparatus comprising:

A. a game board having a maze path defined on the upper surface thereof by upstanding flanges, and a game piece movably constrained within said maze path;

B. resilient means supporting the game board for at least tipping movement thereon;

C. a plurality of discrete movable weights; and

D. a plurality of weight-retaining means each for retaining one of said plurality of discrete movable weights at a selected position removed from the maze path on said game board, the placement of one of the discrete weights in one of the weightretaining means displacing said game board on said resilient support means, thereby causing movement of the game piece in the maze path.

. 2. Game apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the upstanding flanges defining the maze path include at least a peripheral flange.

3. Game apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said plurality of weight-retaining means comprise:

A. a first plurality of weight-receiving depressions p0- sitioned on the peripheral flange at afirst uniform radius from the center of the game board and spaced apart from each adjacent depression by an equal angular distance, and

B. a second plurality of weight-receiving depressions positioned on other maze path-defining flanges on the game board at a second uniform radius from the center of the game board.

4. Game apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the resilient support means comprises a flexible rod and associated base pemiitting tipping movement of the new equilibrium position determined by the position of 65 game board.-

the game board.

The game may be played by having the participants move the spherical weights 16 to various positions of 5. Game apparatus as described in claim 4, wherein said base is provided with an opening for receiving in telescoping engagement one, end of said flexible rod,

and wherein said game board is provided with a boss having an opening formed therein for receiving in telescoping engagement the other end of said flexible rod.

6. Game apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein said game board further includes game piece retaining means positioned in said maze path.

7. Game apparatus asdefined in claim 6, wherein the a uniform distance from each adjacent depression. 

1. A game apparatus comprising: A. a game board having a maze path defined on the upper surface thereof by upstanding flanges, and a game piece movably constrained within said maze path; B. resilient means supporting the game board for at least tipping movement thereon; C. a plurality of discrete movable weights; and D. a plurality of weight-retaining means each for retaining one of said plurality of discrete movable weights at a selected position removed from the maze path on said game board, the placement of one of the discrete weights in one of the weightretaining means displacing said game board on said resilient support means, thereby causing movement of the game piece in the maze path.
 2. Game apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the upstanding flanges defining the maze path include at least a peripheral flange.
 3. Game apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said plurality of weight-retaining means comprise: A. a first plurality of weight-receiving depressions positioned on the peripheral flange at a first uniform radius from the center of the game board and spaced apart from each adjacent depression by an equal angular distance, and B. a second plurality of weight-receiving depressions positioned on other maze path-defining flanges on the game board at a second uniform radius from the center of the game board.
 4. Game apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the resilient support means comprises a flexible rod and associated base permitting tipping movement of the game board.
 5. Game apparatus as described in claim 4, wherein said base is provided with an opening for receiving in telescoping engagement one end of said flexible rod, and wherein said game board is provided with a boss having an opening formed therein for receiving in telescoping engagement the other end of said flexible rod.
 6. Game apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein said game board further includes game piece retaining means positioned in said maze path.
 7. Game apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein the game piece retaining means comprises one depression centrally located on said game board.
 8. Game apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein said means for retaining weights on the game board comprises a plurality of depressions positioned at a uniform distance from the center of said game board and a uniform distance from each adjacent depression. 